Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1887-03-03
CHEROKEE rH1LoLoaY.

Cherokee language abounds in
strange similitudes to the names of
natural phenomena, as used by
some Of the oldest extinct nations.
The analysis Of some Cherokee
words into what seems TO be
original elements, originate rather
curious ideas, both as to sound and
meaning Of many words, or of parts
Of such words compounded into
one. The combination of several
words into one, in which descrip-
ton and object or the use enters, is
a habit of the Indian languages Of
America. In the course of time,
as has been with the Cherokees,
the original meaning OF the words
that entered into the combination
is lost, and the word only in its
existing entierty is understood, as
used to express an idea or TO call
attention TO an object. Paradise,
away back yonder, was the name
of pleasure garden, but is spirit
ualized now, and is the place
where the poor thief was assured
he should be that day.
As Mr.. Eubanks orthographical-
ly gives the name of the earth in
Cherokee, it is El-o-hi. There is a
striking resemblance of the word
10 El-o-him, one of the Hebrew
names for the deity, and means
creator. Whether Of general belief
or not among the North American
Indians, the idea must have pre-
vailed with some, that the earth is
the mother of all. Tecumseh when
offered seat by General Harrison,
Mt peace council of the tribes,
with the remark to sit by his
father, Indignantly replied: "The
sun is my father and the earth is
my mother, and upon her bosom /
will recline," and seated himself
ON the ground. Mother with the
Indians is the nearest relative,
and. as-once was the custom among
Cherokees, from her descended the
clanskip. The idea seems to have
been-which was that of the
Peruvians-tkat the sun and earth
were the parents Of all things-of
the human race, or creators. The
word El-o-him is said to be: plural
in form, made so by the suffix, m.
If such is the fact the word El-o-hi,
the Cherokee name for the earth,
is singular, and must mean one Of
the two principles from which ac-
'cording to nearly all ancient
beliefs, all things have originated,
traced down and applied TO the
visible and demonstrative-the
sun, earth, male and females Of all
creations.
The two last yllables of the
word, El-o-hi. Cherokee name for
the earth, or El-o-him, the Hebrew
name for creator, with its plural
form dispensed with are the COM
ponents OF the Cherokee name for
heaven-Ka-lul-o-hi. Kara is said
20 be the Arcadian name for gate,
Or gateway. There being no sound
of in the Cherokee language, the
last syllable must necessarily have
been dropped, and lul, so natural
and easy Of Cherokee utterance,
must have been substituted. This,
though needs further explana-
tion as "lul" is not clearly ac-
counted for as a substitute for
Sra" AS said before, there is no
word in the Cherokee language in
which there is the sound Of r, but
Of la the language abounds. The
ra therefore becomes la. We
therefore find the original word to
be as it must have been, judging
from other similar words of which
it is compounded, Ka-la- a-el-o-hi.
From that disposition of all peo-
pie to clip their words, either
because they by that operation be-
come easier to speak or is made to
conform TO the grammatical con-
strnction Of the language, the word
has been reduced to what it is now
-Ka-lul-o-hi. The sequence seems
to be that ra is changed 20 la; la to
lul by droppinga and e, preserv-
ing In the change the vowel form,
we find ia all this the gateway of
El-o-him, the Hebrew creator. or
Of Ka-la-el-o-hi, or as now spoken,
Ka-lul-o-hi, the Cherokee name for
heaven.
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